Explore the Family Name Finlay
The meaning of Finlay
Scottish and Irish: variant of Finley 1.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Finlay in the United States?
The surname Finlay, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data, saw a slight decline in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 10,258th and dropped to 10,721st by 2010, marking a decrease of 4.51%. However, the number of individuals bearing the surname increased slightly from 2,880 to 2,980, an increase of 3.47%. Despite this increase, its proportion per 100,000 fell from 1.07 in 2000 to 1.01 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,258 | #10,721 | -4.51% |
| Count | 2,880 | 2,980 | 3.47% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.07 | 1.01 | -5.61% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Finlay
The ethnicity of those with the surname Finlay also experienced changes between 2000 and 2010. The majority identified as White, although this proportion decreased from 90.97% to 88.22%. There were increases in every other ethnic category except for American Indian and Alaskan Native, which saw a decrease from 0.28% to 0.17%. The most significant increase was seen in the Asian/Pacific Islander group, where the percentage increased from 0.42% to 0.74%. Those identifying with two or more races also increased, going from 1.11% to 1.81%. Hispanics went from 3.26% to 4.53%, and Blacks increased from 3.96% to 4.53%. These shifts in ethnic identity within the Finlay surname population is based on the Decennial U.S. Census data.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 90.97% | 88.22% | -3.02% |
| Hispanic | 3.26% | 4.53% | 38.96% |
| Black | 3.96% | 4.53% | 14.39% |
| Two or More Races | 1.11% | 1.81% | 63.06% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.42% | 0.74% | 76.19% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.28% | 0.17% | -39.29% |
Finlay ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Finlay is British & Irish, which comprises 65.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (16.3%) and Eastern European (4.8%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 65.9% |
| French & German | 16.3% |
| Eastern European | 4.8% |
| Other | 13.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Finlay
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Finlay have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 89.40% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 89.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 89.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 89.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 89.40% |
What Finlay haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Finlay is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z301 and R-S7409, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Ogilvie, Mellon, Maxwell, Trent, Barlow, Elam, Culver, Justice, Mckenna, Whitney.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Finlay surname are: H1, N, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Finlay have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Finlay" Surname 48.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Finlay" Surname 46.7%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Finlay" Surname 11.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Finlay" Surname 18.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Finlay?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Finlay are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition